


Simplicity

by Galo



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-22 04:01:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9582746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galo/pseuds/Galo
Summary: Nothing fancy. Just Leo dealing with his -emotions- and Elise being a precious little sister.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FoxVII](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxVII/gifts).



Leo has always thought himself a man of simple interests: Chess, beef stew, tactical warfare–

So when his eyes lay upon the young prince of Hoshido who is anything but (Leo would much rather puzzle over an assault upon a fortress, to be quite frank), Nohr’s greatest sorcerer is at a loss as to how to proceed.

Xander has always been his better in combat and in propriety. In courtship, well, he’d rather not confess to his older brother that he may in fact be pining after their former enemy. How he landed himself in this predicament, he hasn’t the faintest idea.

Camilla, on the other hand, has always been generous with her inclinations. She cradles and she coddles and she’s earned her fair share of suitors. But then again, Leo doesn’t want to smother the object of his affections.

Elise, she is by far the easiest to open up to. And although she may be young and inexperienced, she has always been one to follow her heart, consequences be damned.

“Leo! I haven’t seen you in forever. You’re always hanging around Takumi these days.” If only she knew. “What’s up? Did you want to check out the cherry blossoms with me?”

“That sounds lovely, Elise. I’ve some matters I wanted to discuss with you actually.”

Her eyes light up. “Ooo, sounds serious. Let’s go, then. You can tell me all about it while we’re walking.”

He doesn’t tell her that he has yet to figure out how to broach the subject: Takumi is at once the most predictable man and the most impulsive. Leo has always known exactly which buttons to push but Takumi never ceases to catch him off-guard with a clever quip or a heavy clap on the back where Leo expects retaliation.

Once, he humored the thought that perhaps they were friends and that their relationship fit neatly beneath that word. But mere friends don’t make your heart sing, nor do they entrance you into blatant staring. Leo’s cheeks flush at the memories. How many times has it been since Takumi’s stopped mid-sentence to give him a hearty shove and a _“am I boring you, Prince Leo?”_

How many times has he had to _stammer out_  a pitiful attempt to save face?  _“N, no. Please, do continue. I was just…”_

_“Distracted by my handsome good looks, I know.”_

Leo lifts an idle hand to his impossibly red face and wonders what would have happened had he simply said ‘yes’. Would Takumi have flustered? Gone silent? Revealed his own feelings, perhaps? Whatever the case may be, he spies Elise grinning at him out of the corner of his eye and bites back a curse.

“I don’t… h-how exactly am I supposed to tell him?” he forces out between his teeth, grimacing as Elise lets out an ecstatic laugh.

Hers reminds him of Takumi’s, so vibrant and full of life.

“ _Weeeeell_ , you’re just gonna have to take him by the hands and spell it out for him. It’s rude to keep people waiting, you know.” She spares him one more look before casting her eyes up towards the trees dotted with flowers.

Leo lets out an aggravated sigh. “You want me to confess in the least romantic way possible.”

“That’s not what I said!” She gives him a punch in the arm, the same spot Takumi always went for. “If you want to be showy about it, then that’s what you should do. But knowing him, maybe he’d appreciate something more… direct? I’m actually surprised he hasn’t said anything to you yet. I mean, I assume he feels the same way. It’s just the kinda _vibe_  I always got from him!”

A man can hope. A man can dream.

The topic of Takumi comes and goes as Leo asks after Sakura, asks after Elise’s latest adventures. She’s all too eager to share the wonders of Hoshido and how she’s trying so very hard to make her little bonsai tree flower in Nohr’s unforgiving clime. It seems much happier here in the abundant sunlight.

“You know, big brother, you have a lot of good qualities, too.”

“Hmm?” Leo halts in his tracks as Elise spins around. “Where’s this coming from?”

“It’s what you’ve been worrying about, isn’t it? That Prince Takumi is more likable than you ‘cause he doesn’t have a stick up his butt.”

Leo opens his mouth to argue but Elise is already prodding him in the chest, adamant about getting her point across.

“You’re really smart and passionate. You’re not the kind of person who does things half-heartedly, you know? And you care a lot. You show it in funny ways but that doesn’t change the fact that you care. And that’s probably all he wants.”

Humbled by her words, Leo gives an awkward terse nod. In a quiet voice, not unlike the one he has come to use with Takumi whenever they pour over books or questions about their place in the universe, Leo replies, “Thank you, Elise. You’ve, ah, given me much to consider. I think you’re right on every count, though.”

“Even the part about the stick?” she teases with a wink.

Leo yields with a huff. “Yes, even that, happy?”

Again with the arm-punching. Leo rubs at his new bruise while Elise skips down the road littered with petals, singing all the way.

*

Takumi has a simple room, one you’d never guess belonged to royalty. Aside from various quivers left over from training days and an unfinished scroll lying upon a writing desk, the space is practically unlived-in.

Nightmares, Takumi told him once before. It’s difficult to sleep by his lonesome and Sakura has always been accommodating. (The fact that Takumi could tell him something like that without a grimace speaks volumes about how far they’ve come.)

The gentle trickle of tea courting ceramic catches Leo’s attention. He murmurs a gentle “thank you” for the drink and sips from it as it’s poured.

Takumi looks at him funny for it, then tries his own cup. He swears as he scalds his tongue and Leo lets out a startled laugh.

“Are you all right?” Leo asks, his tone measured and apologetic.

“I’ll live,” Takumi grumbles, looking as put out as a ruffled chicken.

Leo catches himself smiling and averts his gaze. He schools his expression into something a little less lovesick and sighs. “My apologies. My mind has been occupied as of late.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Brusque as ever.

But Leo doesn’t mind. He’s used to this. He knows this.

“Actually.” Takumi rests his hands upon his crossed knees and leans forward. “I wanted to ask you about that. I figured it if wasn’t important, you’d have resolved it on your own. Do you need a second opinion?”

“On how I feel about you?” Leo asks. His cheeks burn as his mind catches up to his tongue. “I, I’ve already asked Elise. She said that I should, I mean, I wanted to–” Leo chews at his lip, a habit he had never quite grown out of.

Bless Takumi for his sudden bout of patience. Leo can see the way he relaxes, shoulders falling, lips parting in muted surprise. 

“How can you be so loud and yet so quiet at the same time?”

Takumi quirks a brow in confusion while Leo stills. That is not what he meant to say.

And yet, Takumi takes him up on it, “Because I’m tired of living in fear. I know I’m not the best when it comes to self-control, but… that doesn’t mean I should hold back.”

Leo smiles helplessly at that response, losing himself before the brilliant mind seated across from him. He hears himself chuckle and shakes his head. “I’m in love with you. Not a night goes by where I don’t dream of you.”

He watches as Takumi fidgets. They aren’t the nerves of a man wanting to leave, no, that’s what Takumi does whenever he’s seized with doubt; Leo tries to comfort him with an outstretched hand but all Takumi seems to do is babble.

“Me? But all I do is–”

“Complicate things? I know. I know that and yet… I want you, gods, I don’t think I could ever stop wanting you.”

Takumi looks Leo in the eye and says to him, “Then it’s a good thing I’ve always wanted you, too.”

To think it had been so simple all along.


End file.
